Pensioner lost £140k to phone phishers

CON artists stole £140,000 from an elderly woman in a new wave of phone scams.

People in Tayside, Angus and Perthshire have been targeted by fraudsters pretending to be from their bank or other businesses.

And police are warning the public to take extra care to protect themselves against the fraud.

The 74-year-old woman who lost £140,000 had been persuaded to hand over her account details by a criminal claiming to be from her bank’s fraud department.

Police say the bank are attempting to retrieve the money.

In another phishing incident, a 75-year-old man from Montrose was duped into transferring £74,000 into other accounts. His bank managed to retrieve the funds.

An elderly woman from Kinross gave her bank details to a caller who claimed to be from BT and said her computer had been hacked. She lost £5000.

A police spokesman said: “We would advise residents to be alert to any phone call they receive from a person claiming to be from a bank, financial institution or business company asking for money to be transferred or asking for a phone call to be made to the bank. Do not provide any of your details.

“If you do decide to call the bank, where possible call from a different phone line or mobile number. If in doubt, ask the caller to put a stop on your account and attend your branch in person.”